Is There A Thing as "Over Studying"

shir-bur · Mar 20, 2008

Yes, I think you can overstudy. I will graduate May 1, ADN, and I feel that I have struggled most of the time, but this semester, I feel somewhat at ease. Just slow down and take your time. And a group of us always go out into the hall before every test and pray. It helps calm the nerves and for me it also clears my mind. So just hang in there, God didn't get you into the program for you to fail out or quit now. Just remember to breath. And going into your final with an 80 something is great. You can do this, I just had to keep telling myself, how bad do I want it? And I'm sure you really want this, besides, you got into the program so you can do this. I'll be praying for you, and keep your head up, your doing great!!!!!!!

shir-bur :wink2:

SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN · Mar 20, 2008

No, you can't over study!!! You can however over think a questions or psych yourself out or second guess yourself while you take your exam.

I over study all the time and what I learn extra has helped me the following semester. Whereas students who ONLY study what they think is on the exam are usually struggling every semester (both clinically and academically). I am not interested in joining those ranks.

Every semester has been HARDER then the last. The more I have taken from the previous semester the easier it is for me to digest material presented the following semester. If you have problems with taking these harder exams you need to analyze what you might have done wrong.

Maybe it is your study method? For example, memorization does not work. Maybe you are too anxious when you take your exams? Maybe you do not properly test yourself before taking exams? Maybe your critically thinking habits on exams are bad? Maybe you read too much into the stem of the question? Maybe you do not know the answer before reading the indicators?

There is so much to reflect on... Do not settle for the myth that "studying too much" is the problem. You can never know too much in nursing! Especially if you can critically think.

I suggest that you talk to your nursing instructor and go over the exam. This way you can narrow down your problem and make corrections for your future. :nurse:

Shawn1234 · Mar 20, 2008

I'm doing the same thing. Changing my answers. I graduate June 8th. I find myself all the time second guessing myself. We have to stop.

shir-bur · Mar 20, 2008

I only meant that you can over study for a particular test, and yes I agree that everything builds on something. And I have never just study what I thought would be on a particular test, I always study all the material, so I just assumed that everyone else did as well. And yes, every semester has been harder than the last, only if you allow everything you have taken away from all the other semesters to carry over into the last semester. You need to be able to apply what you have learned and you can't do that by memorization. Instead of just memorizing lab values or right sided or left sided heart failure, you have to be able to see the effects of the condition in your mind and understand why this is happening to be able to know the proper steps you need to take to try to correct the problem. I study everyday and still have days where I feel like I don't know anything. And getting together in small study groups also helped me, this way everyone can give a different perspective on the subject and maybe if you don't understand something, someone may explain it in a way that makes it stick with you.

I'm sorry if I offended anyone, but I'm not interested in joining those ranks either.

shir-bur

bsugar888 · Mar 20, 2008

I am the same way................I did so well in fundamentals.......I to am having a very hard time in 2nd semester...............I want this sooooooo bad...and I know GOD didnt bring me this far to fail............I am not go to FAIL.............I think I have a problem with appling the information to the question..............and after the exam I get up feeling great...and get my exam back and I didnt do well....which is sooooooo upsetting to me............76 is passing and we have 4 exams and a final....1st exam I got 78 2nd exam I got 68..............are 3rd exam is april 2nd..........I need a 82 on exam 3 to be at a 76 avervage.............any help from anyone would be helpful........................thanks all. :cry:

PsychNurseWannaBe, BSN, RN · Mar 20, 2008

I definately could tell if I was over-studying. For me I needed some time for the new information to gel in my head. Otherwise I would end up just confusing myself. Normally when I got to that part, I would just switch subjects to study.

beth66335, BSN, RN · Mar 21, 2008

Cover the answers before you read the question. Then underline key words in the question to get the meat of what it is asking. Always assume you have a Dr order for whatever you need (the NCLEX hospital always has Dr orders, all supplies, and enough staff to help). Then look at the answers after you think you know what it is, go with your first impression and DON'T change it. Sometimes looking at the answers with the questions will make you read into the questions! My Adult and Child Health I teacher always tells us the eraser is NOT our friend! :lol2:

MiaKeaRN · Mar 21, 2008

My Adult and Child Health I teacher always tells us the eraser is NOT our friend!

I have to agree with your teacher. I finally, finally, finally gave up erasing an answer that I thought was wrong. I would go back and forth, change it, and then find out that my first answer was correct. I figured out that over a few tests I had basically cost myself 20 points by changing answers.

It worked......not changing answers or second guessing myself has brought my grade up to a high B for this semester (at least at this point).

Esther2007 · Mar 22, 2008

I dont have time to over study for nursing exam. The information is already too much to handle at times. The word "overstudy" does not exist for me at this time. If I can add 4 more hours to the day, I would.

carolinapooh, BSN, RN · Mar 22, 2008

Yes, you can overstudy - just like you can "overdo" anything else. I would hardly say it's a myth. You can overstudy for a test the same way you can overthink a problem. I can't really think of ANYTHING you can't "over" do.

The more concerned you get about something - the more you worry and stress - the harder it gets to concentrate. You wear yourself out, mentally and/or physically, and then POOF! on exam day - the answers just seem to fly right out of your head. I can always tell when I overstudy because my mind will begin to wander, or I'll notice my frustration beginning to get a bit out of control. Or I would find that I had a hard time sleeping before an exam.

And over-studying can lead (I've found, anyway) to second-guessing - you think, I should know that, and THAT answer looks WAAAYYY too obvious. I've read SO many times that your first instinct is usually the right answer -and BOY have I had the tests that prove that theory correct over and over! I've been handed tests back that you can SEE where I switched the answer to the wrong one. I finally made a pact with myself that I would NOT change an answer unless I KNEW for a fact I'd marked it wrong or mismarked it. I decided I could live with getting it wrong and not changing it (even if I sort of thought the answer was incorrect) rather than getting it wrong FOR changing it.

I chewed my erasers off of my pencils to resist the temptation. If I wanted an eraser, I had to dig for it in the front pocket of my backpack - which would make noise!

And know what? My grades went WAY up - even with the ones I'd get wrong. I went from a high C on my first Adult Health exam to an A on the last two - seriously -just by leaving answers alone!

And I think it's great that you want to help your classmates - but could you be giving them TOO much of your energy? Just a thought. I know how hard it is to tell people "I can't right now", but I wonder if you're saying "sure" too often. Again, just a thought.

autumn_raine · Mar 22, 2008

First of all, DON'T CHANGE YOUR ANSWERS!!!!!!!! I can't emphasize that enough so here you go...NEVER EVER EVER CHANGE YOUR ANSWER!!! The first answer you chose comes from your knowledge and gut - the second answer comes from reading too much into the question. OK, never say never, there is ONLY ONE time you should change an answer - if you answer the question and upon re-reading the question you realize you missed information that effects the answer and you are absolutely certain that information makes a difference then go ahead and change your answer (this has only happened to me once). Second, pay attention to how your instructor writes the questions. This may be part of the reason why you did so well last semester but are struggling this semester - all instructors write their tests differently. Try to tune into what this instructor wants and give it to him or her. Third, nursing tests are mostly application and this is hard to do when you don't actually have a patient in front of you to look at and assess so don't add information to the question. The instructor is giving you all the information you need to answer the question so don't add to or take away from it. If in doubt, raise your hand and ask! I had a lot of trouble with this too (reading into the question) but after asking a few times "but what if..." and getting the same reply I quickly corrected my problem (the instructor's answer was "does it say anything about that in the question?"). Fourth, No, I don't think you can overstudy especially for a nursing exam - just be sure you understand what you are studying! GOOD LUCK! :nurse: